The course objectives is where course design starts. Which learning activities are needed/are suitable for the students in the course target group to be able to reach the course objectives? What material needs to be prepared? Here are several work methods and tools to create an overview and structure that really works. The result is an overview of how the course should be set up.
Canvas template course
In this short video, we will show you around in a template course homepage for Canvas that is designed based on good pedagogical principles. You can “download” the template from Canvas Commons directly from your course shell. (Video, 9 mins. Only Swedish)
Checklist for a good course website in Canvas
This is a checklist for you who are a course leader/teacher in a university course with a website in Canvas. It is based on robust principles for what a good study environment for students should look like and it also makes life easier for you, the teacher. Use it to check that you do not […]
Constructive Alignment in practice
Constructive Alignment (CA) is a model for designing educations in higher education. This is how you apply it, step by step.
Designing Distance Courses: What are the Differences?
Distance teaching requires a different way of designing courses than on-campus teaching. In this short video, we explain the fundamental differences and how it affects you as teacher.
Effective study environment online
How to design an online course in practice? In this short video, we’ll outline four principles that guide you in setting up a working study environment that let students focus on the important stuff: Their learning.
Formulate a pedagogical idea for the course!
It is difficult to discuss details in something, e. g. a course structure, if you do not have an idea of the whole. What is the whole that the details are intended to support? What is the pedagogical idea for the course that the details should realize?
Group work as a form of work
Group work is not a “refreching change from just a lecture”, but a powerful form of work when people learn something new. Here are some good reasons to choose group work. And a risk to keep an eye on.
How do you use group work in your particular course?
What is the purpose of the group work in your course? Microgroup, crossgroup, side task or course progression?
Mandatory course components: When can we use it?
The general principle for higher education is that it is voluntary for the student. The only mandatory element is the examination. However, certain course components can be made mandatory, even if they are not part of the examination. How?
Planning language progression throughout an entire study programme
A student with generally weak language skills is not likely to solve the issues over the time period of one single course. Measures to strengthen a student’s language skills therefore need to be planned using an overall approach that looks at the entire study programme.
Reading instructions for students? When and how?
If you arrive at university fresh out of upper secondary school or after several years in working life, it can be difficult to approach the task of reading large quantities of text. How would you – the teacher – describe your target group? Do they need the support of reading instructions and study techniques?
Tips: Systematic language training through a series of programme courses – an example
Here is an example of how systematic language training – reading, writing, managing academic texts – have been implemented in all courses of a 1-year study programme that concludes with an independent project. We hope it will inspire you.
Tips: Overview per week
A picture is worth a thousand words. Make a simple overview picture that presents what will happen during the course.
Tips: Structure in the course with Canvas 'Study Planner'
With the canvas tool Study Planner, you can help students create structure in their study work and in their planning. In addition, the tool helps you assess how your course structure will affect the students’ workload. Have you created a reasonable structure?